Paper towel or paper napkin dispensing device



1948 T. F. ANDERSON ET AL 34,342

PAPER TOWEL OR PAPER NAPKIN D SPENSING DEVI E Filed Sept. 29, 1945 3Sheets-Sheet l I M T40.

E P L a 1 E a 0 rai 1948- T. F. ANDERSON ET AL 3 3 PAPER TOWEL OR PAPERNAPKIN'DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2klmmllliiin' Jan. 13, 1948.

T. F. ANDERSON ET AL ,434,342

PAPER TOWEL OR PAPER NAPKIN DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1945 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 13, 1948 PAPER TOWEL OR PAPER NAPKINDISPENSING DEVICE Thomas F. Anderson and Herman Taber, Cleveland, OhioApplication September 29, 1945, Serial No. 619,288

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a paper towel or napkin dispensing cabinet.

An object of this invention is to provide a cabinet which will placebefore the user clean and sanitary paper towels or napkins.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cabinet whichwill dispense individually folded paper towels or napkins therebyeliminating the necessity and cost of interlacing them.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cabinet which willdispense a single paper towel or napkin for each 180 degree turn of ahandle, and will leave no part of the succeeding towel or napkinprotruding, thereby eliminating waste and assuring sanitary towels ornapkins. A still further object of this invention is to provide acabinet which is relatively simple in construction, having but a fewparts, and which may, therefore, be manufactured and sold at arelatively low cost.

These and other like aims and objects are accomplished by the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter describedand shown in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this disclosure,and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the paper towel or napkin dispensingcabinet.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the dispensing mechanism,parts of the cabinet being broken away.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line III-I]I of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 3.

As seen in Figures 1 and 3, the upper portion of the cabinet providesstorage for clean, dry and sanitary paper towels or napkins anddispenses on single paper towel or napkin at a time by turning a handle,mounted upon the outer surface of the cabinet, part of a completerevolution. This propels mechanism inside the cabinet, dispensing thepaper towel or napkin. The lower portion of the cabinet provides acontainer to receive soiled or used paper towels or napkins. Aself-closing cover mounted in an opening in the top of the forwardlyprotruding lower portion of the cabinet permits the insertion of thesoiled or used paper towels or napkins. The soiled or used paper towelsor napkins drop into a receptacle attached to the front emptying door inthe lower portion of the cabinet.

The cabinet may hang upon a wall or set upon a table. When used inpublic wash rooms, bathrooms, or kitchens, the wall-hung method isconvenient, while restaurants and beauty salons would use the tablemethod.

Referring now to the drawings more specifically, where the samcharacters are used to indicate the same element in all the figures, thedispensing portion of the cabinet consists of a bottom 2, a rear wall 3,a left side wall 4, a right side wall 6, a top 1 and a removable frontwall 8, held to the top and side walls by catches 24.

The bottom 2, is arranged to slope downwardly at a slight angletowardthe rear wall, the reason for which will appear later. A slot 23 isprovided immediately abov the forward portion of the bottom 2. Saidbottom 2 has a plurality of openings 9 in the forward portion thereof,and a plurality of friction pads l I secured thereto adjacent the rearwall of the cabinet. The friction pads may be made of any suitable roughsurfaced material.

A platform i5 is mounted on the rear wall of the cabinet below thebottom 2 of the dispensing portion of said cabinet. Said platform isspaced from said bottom of the dispensing portion and extendsapproximately parallel thereto. A plurality of aligned U-shaped bracketsM are mounted on said platform so as to register with said openings 9.

A shaft 13 is rotatably mounted in bearings in said brackets so as toextend parallel to the front wall of the cabinet. A wheel I2 is keyed tothe shaft l3 in the crutch of each of said U-shaped brackets so as toprotrude slightly through the opening 9 in the bottom of the dispensingportion. The size of each of said wheels I2 is such that itssemi-circumference is approximately equal to the width of the foldedpaper towel or napkin to be dispensed, the reason for which will appearlater. A smaller auxiliary wheel l6, rotatably supported by an auxiliaryU-shaped bracket I1 is mounted in alignment with each of said wheel 12,and rearwardly thereof, upon said platform l5. An endless friction beltI0, made of garnet paper or any other suitable rough-surfaced material,joins each of said wheels l2 with its corresponding auxiliary wheel [6.

A follower weight, in the form of a cylindrical rod l9 operates invertical guide channels 20, which are mounted on the side walls near therear wall within the dispensing portion of the cabinet. The right handend of the shaft l3 extends through the side wall 6 to the outside ofthe cabinet and is provided with a turning handle IS.

The handle I8 is provided with diametrically spaced projections 2|,adapted to co-operate with 3 the diametrically spaced cam surfaceddepressions 22 provided on the outer side of wall 6 in the circular pathof said projections.

A keyhol slot 35 is provided in the upper portion of the rear wall 3,and cushion pads 36 are provided on the base of the cabinet, thusadapting the cabinet for either wall support or table support.

The waste receiving portion of the cabinet includes the space below theplatform I and the forwardly protruding portion 29 of the cabinet. It isbounded by rear wall 28, sidewalls 26,.21, bottom 25, front panel 30,platform l'5 andthe arched top of the forwardly protruding portion 29.The walls '28, 26 and 21 are continuation of walls 3, 4 and 6,respectively, of the dispensing portion of the cabinet. The sid walls 26and 2! are extended forwardly in order to form sides for the forwardlyprotruding portion of the cab-.

inet. The forwardly extended portions of the side walls 26, 2'! may beformed so as to make the forwardly protruding'portion of the cabinet ofreduced width. This, however, is only-for-purposes of appearance, and isnot essential for-the operation of the device.

The arched top of the forwardly protruding portion 29 has a centralopening-32therein. An arched cover plate 33, mounted to swing on ahorizontal axis extending-transversely and centrally. of said opening,keeps said waste receiving portion of the cabinet closedby the influenceof gravity, and balance, and permits the insertion of waste: at eitherside of said horizontal axis. The front panel 39 is removably hinged tothe bottom 25, as at 34. A receptacle 3| is secured to the lower end ofthe front paneL'the weight leverage of said receptacl being such as tokeep the front panel normally in closed position without the use oflooks or catches.

The useand operation of the device is as followsrThe dispensing portionof the cabinet is loaded'by removing the front wall8, raising thefollower weight l9, and placing a stack of individually folded papertowels or napkins on the bottom 2 of the dispensing portion. of thecabinet with their folded edges to the front. The replaced followerweight and the weightof the stack of towels or napkins will press saidpaper towels or napkins against-the frictionpads ll and endlessfrictionbelts l0. Theportion of the friction belt protruding through the opening9;of thebottom 2' presents a considerably-larger friction area than thatof the friction pad I 8.

Sinc the towel or napkin-contacting area upon thefriction belt I0 isgreater than that of friction pad H; and since the frictional forcebetween th friction belt 10 and the towel or napkin is greater than thatbetween two contiguous towels or napkins, therefore, when the handle I8is turned one half of a completerevolution, the'lowermost paper towel ornapkin will be propelled by the friction grip of the endless belts I0through the'slot 23. Theprojections .2! on the handle, engaging thedepressions .22 at each half revolution of the handle will stop therotation of the wheels I2 and the motion of the friction-belts l8. Sincethe length of a half circumference of each wheel I2 is approximatelythe-same as the width of the paper towel or napkin-to-be dispensed, ifthe handle 18' is originally positioned with projections 2| engaged withdepressions 22, there will be only one p per towel or napkin dispensedbetween two successive engagements of th projections 2| with,depressions 22,.i. e. for each halfturn of the handle. Thus,

iency of a plurality of paper towels or napkins .beingdispensedsimultaneously. The friction pads [Loo-operating with the followerWeight I9 which engages the paper towels or napkins near their .rearedges, will frictionally retain the .stack, and as soon as the lowermostpaper towel or napkinhas been dislodged and propelled far enough by thefriction belts ID to clear the friction .pads II, the remaining stackwill be held back by said friction pads co-acting with said followerweight.

Applicants wish it to be understood that the invention-isnot limited tothe details disclosed, but includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended'c-laims.

Having now described the invention and the manner-of its use andoperation,.what we claim 15-:

.1. A dispenser for individually folded and stackedpaper towelsornapkins, comprising a front wall, a rear wall, twoside walls, a top anda bottom,the bottom having a plurality of openings, a shaft having, aplurality of wheels fastened thereon, said shafti being rotatablymounted underneath saidbottom-with said wheels slightly protrudingthrough-said openings, an auxiliary wheel ima ie'nment-witheaeh of saidshaft fastened wheels, an endless beltjoining each of said shaftfastened and auxiliary wheelsand having a frictionsurface exposedthrough one of said openingsa slotat thebottom of 'the front wall ofsaid dispenser,1said shaft protruding through oneefsaid sidewalls andhaving. turning means thereon, aidebottommaving a plurality ofstationary friction pads adjacent said rear wall, each of said friction'pajds having a smaller area than that of the exposed surface ofsaidendless belt, said bottom sloping downwardlytowa-rd said rear wall of;said dispenser, and means pressingsaid paper towel or napkins againstsaid friction pads and said exposed surface .of said endless :belt,whereby upon turning said shaft, said endless belt will frictionallypropel through said slot only one of said paper towels or napkins at atime.

2. ,A dispenser for individually folded and stacked ,paper towel or 1napkins, comprising a front ,wall,;a.rear;wall,. two side walls, a top.and aqbottom, the'bottom having a. plurality. of openings ashafthavingaplurality of Wheels fastened-thereon, saidshaft being rotatably mountedunderneathsaidibottom with said wheels slightly protruding through saidopenings, an auxiliary wheelin alignment witheach of said shaft fastenedWheels, an endles belt joining each of said shaftfastened andauxiliarywheels and having a friction. surface exposedthrough one of saidopenings,-a slot .atthe bottom of the front wall of said dispenser, saidshaft protruding through oneof said. side walls and having turning meansthereon, and means to press said paper towels and napkins against saidendless belt, said shaft fastened; wheels being of a size thesemi-circumference ofwhichisequalio the .width ofthe folded-paper.towelror napkin to, bedispensecl, and

said turning means having projections co-acting with depression in acircular path in said side walls spaced 180 degrees apart, therebypreventing the protrusion of part of a paper towel or napkin followingthe one dispensed.

THOMAS F. ANDERSON. HERMAN TABER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Sperry May 24, 1887 15 Number NumberNumber

